


For the Love of Eurydice

by DroughtofApathy



Series: A Thousand Lifetimes [35]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Animal Shelter, But also figurative fluff too, Community Service, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/F, Fluff, Literal fluff it's an animal shelter, Motorcycles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-25
Updated: 2019-05-25
Packaged: 2020-03-14 16:46:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,237
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18952057
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DroughtofApathy/pseuds/DroughtofApathy
Summary: Desk?” Radha scoffed. Clearly this woman’s lawyer had not properly informed her of what her community service would entail. Which meant the task fell to Radha, who decided this would either be a tedious chore or a satisfying amusement. Perhaps even both. “You didn’t read the fine print, did you? Well, darling, I’d get yourself a new lawyer if I were you because you’re not going to be doing several hundred hours of paperwork or we’d be here for the rest of both our lives. This is an animal shelter, Miss. Coco Chanel, which means you’re going to be taking care of the animals. That means feeding them, and playing with them, and yes, cleaning up after them. So, if I might make a suggestion, this outfit ain’t exactly doing you any favors.”





	For the Love of Eurydice

****

Slow and deliberate high-heeled footsteps echoed across the linoleum floor. From her position halfway inside a small doggy crate, Radha rolled her eyes.

“You’re an hour late,” she said, carefully crawling out of the crate. She paused just before she stood, wincing as her knee cracked. But when she looked up at the expected volunteer, she nearly fell over.

The woman, who clearly thought herself far too glamourous to be standing in the middle of an animal shelter, peered down at Radha critically. She was an almost obscenely tall woman, and the five-inch stilettos only added to her already towering frame. Everything she wore, from the sunglasses perched atop her head, to those ridiculous heels on her feet, was designer. Even Radha, who had never even so much as glanced at one of those high-end stores knew that. The walking Gucci ad wore small gold hoops that were almost certainly 24-karat, and dark red lipstick to match her dark red perfectly-coiffed hair.

“Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me,” Radha muttered, taking the woman completely in. She herself was dressed in what she considered perfectly appropriate attire to be cleaning animal crates. While Rada herself enjoyed high heels as much as the next woman, even she forwent their impracticality for her day job. She wore old jeans that were stained with all manner of dust and dirt from that day’s adventure, ratty sneakers, and had pulled her hair back in a bun that had slowly been unraveling all day.

When it became apparent that the woman wouldn’t even entertain the notion of helping her up, Radha gingerly pulled herself to a standing position with the help of a nearby table. Her knees once again cracked audibly and she tried unsuccessfully to hid her wince.

“Well, you’re here now so let’s get started,” Radha said. She didn’t offer her hand, and the woman didn’t give any indication that she expected her to. “Radha Bati, executive director of this little place, if you want to get fancy with the titles. Which I don’t.” Official titles meant very little when Radha’s shelter only employed herself, two full-time workers, a few part-timers and an inconsistent stream of volunteers.

“Yes, my lawyer already gave me your information,” the woman said briskly. “If you’ll just show me to my desk, we can get this over with as soon as possible.”

“Desk?” Radha scoffed. Clearly this woman’s lawyer had not properly informed her of what her community service would entail. Which meant the task fell to Radha, who decided this would either be a tedious chore or a satisfying amusement. Perhaps even both. “You didn’t read the fine print, did you? Well, darling, I’d get yourself a new lawyer if I were you because you’re not going to be doing several hundred hours of paperwork or we’d be here for the rest of both our lives. This is an animal shelter, Miss. Coco Chanel, which means you’re going to be taking care of the _animals_. That means feeding them, and playing with them, and yes, cleaning up after them. So, if I might make a suggestion, this outfit ain’t exactly doing you any favors.”

Already pale enough as is, the woman seemed to go paper white at the very thought. Without another word to Radha, she pulled a phone out of her purse and turned to walk right out once more.

“Well, if you’d rather spend however many days behind bars,” Radha said, and she couldn’t keep the smugness out of her tone. “Be my guest, darling. But you signed the papers and did the crime, now you’ve got to do the work. So why don’t you put that phone away and sit down so we can discuss your hours.”

Radha ran a regimented organization and not even volunteers could just show up and work when and how they wanted. Maybe, she explained as she led the woman into her small office and took out the paperwork the courthouse sent over, that sort of thing would be acceptable if they were some accounting office or something, but not when the shelter took care of actual living beings.

The woman’s name, Radha learned as she reskimmed the information sheet, was Felicia Beaumont and she was clearly very wealthy. That wealth had evidently led to her being given a very lenient sentence, though Felicia herself seemed to think otherwise.

“I was under the impression that I would simply come in whenever I could spare a few hours,” Felicia said, smiling tightly. “You see, I’m a CFO for a pharmaceutical company and I simply can’t commit to any concrete schedule. Not with the hours of overtime that could change at any moment.”

“Well, as I see it,” Radha said, deciding she really didn’t care about Felicia Beaumont and her work hours. “You can either come in when I assign you, or you can spend the appropriate time in jail. And between you and me, I don’t think orange would go with your hair. Miss. Beaumont, I’m sure, working in the pharmaceutical business, you know how important a regimented schedule is when it comes to a being’s health. These animals must be fed, walked, and cleaned up after and their needs do not pause because you have to stay late.”

Felicia stiffened, clearly unused to her needs not being capitulated to. But Radha watched in satisfaction as the taller woman deflated slightly.

“How late would I be able to volunteer until?” Felicia asked primly. “I…well I’m officially meant to have off on Sundays. I don’t often take it, of course, but I suppose given the circumstances. And if needed I can be available on Tuesdays and Wednesdays after 5:30. I try to leave early – well on time, early for me – on those days in time for my yoga and Pilates classes, but I’ll simply have to readjust myself.”

Radha kept Felica waiting in suspense as she made several notes on her calendar. She would have to adjust some of the others’ hours, but better them than this woman in front of her. At last she nodded.

“It just may work out best, actually,” Radha said, putting out several forms Felicia would need to fill out by the time she returned on Tuesday. “On Sundays I mostly run this place on my own and it would be nice to have help. Here, fill these out tonight and just bring them back next time. You can leave your things in here for now and I’ll show you around.”

Felicia seemed entirely unamused throughout the tour. Not even the little kittens could coax a smile out of her. Still, Radha dutifully introduced her to each animal by name, rattling off a random list of their habits and quirks. Things she was certain Felica would pay no mind to.

When she led the taller woman outside across the grass, Radha glanced down at her pristine designer heels and gave a small scoff. Watching as Felicia awkwardly traversed across the sparse stepping stones that were more for decoration than utility was just far too amusing. Though her long legs helped some, the redhead still looked disgruntled and off-balance as they entered the kennel where they kept the larger, more aggressive dogs.

“You’re in luck,” Radha said, leading her through the rows of cages. “It’s likely you won’t be working with these fellas here for a while until you know what you’re doing. They can be a bit temperamental and a few are biters. It’s a shame, but it’s not likely anyone will adopt most of these poor dears. Everyone wants puppies these days, and dogs that are good with kids. Back up, Nike here doesn’t know you just yet.”

“As in the shoe brand?” Felicia asked, all too eager to back away from the Pitbull in the cage.

“As in the Greek goddess of victory,” Radha corrected. She slipped into the cage, and sat right down next to the large dog. Felicia watched in fascination as Radha happily scratched at Nike’s stomach. “She’s not nearly as scary as she wants you to think. Isn’t that right, my girl?” And she wasn’t. The white and brown dog wriggled around, wagging her tail animatedly. Radha snuck a glance at the prissy white rich lady. She didn’t even crack a smile.

As someone who had been around animals all her life, Radha didn’t trust anyone who didn’t love them. Oh, she was going to enjoy watching this woman clean up dog shit.

Throughout the tour, Felicia couldn’t seem to help the snide comments that kept slipping out of her mouth. And Radha learned she wasn’t a quiet woman by any means. The animals seemed to sense her distaste for them because they paced agitatedly. This would not do at all. Soothingly, Radha gave Nike one last pat before standing up and exiting the cage.

“Well, given your…attire…I suppose I’ll have to adjust my plans for the day,” Radha said, leading Felicia back outside across the muddy ground. She paused at the door, allowing Felicia to distastefully wipe at the offending dirt on her heels. “Unless, you’d rather ruin those stockings by cleaning out cages on your hands and knees?”

“Excuse me?” Felicia stiffened back up, staring down her nose at the shorter woman. “I certainly will not be cleaning anything at any time, thank you very much. Feeding and, ugh, walking the animals is one thing, but I’ll be damned if-”

“It is my understanding that you were given the choice of either fifteen days in jail or as many hours doing community service,” Radha said, not at all intimidated by a tall woman with a bitchy attitude. “Now I’m sure as a CFO or whatever it is you are, you couldn’t afford the embarrassment of being behind bars for half a month, so you’re here. And you _will_ do what I tell you, as I have said before. Now I suggest you find yourself some disposable clothing to wear and get over your holier-than-thou attitude because I am overcrowded and understaffed and have not the time nor energy to deal with your bullshit.”

“Fine,” Felicia said, trying to appear unaffected by Radha’s blatant insults. “But I warn you, I have little affection for…animals. And I make no promises on my “attitude.” Oh, I’ll do your work, but do not expect me to be quiet about it.”

Radha rolled her eyes without even attempting to hide her irritation. But she led Felicia back to the room where they kept the cat cages.

“It’s feeding time,” she said, taking out a stack of bowls and gesturing to a dozen or so different food canisters. “Listen carefully because I will only say this once. Each cat has a very specific diet, which means you cannot just fill a bunch of bowls with kibble and move on with your day. The cats in the middle row here have specific health issues and if you feed them what they cannot eat, you kill them. Understand?”

“I’m not a child,” Felicia said, but her eyes widened slightly in shock.

“Perhaps not,” Radha said. She pointed to a color-coded spreadsheet that was laminated and tacked onto the wall. “But this is your first day, and I don’t expect you to do it right, nor do I trust you to. You will set up each of their food, and line them up on this table. Label which bowl is for which cat with a post-it note and wait for me to return. I’d love to stay and watch, but I have a dozen hungry dogs back in that kennel. I’ll be back in an hour.”

Felicia scoffed, seeming to believe it would take far less than an hour to set up a few bowls. But Radha simply showed her where the special items were and instructed her to leave the pill bottles next to the bowls. Felicia wasn’t yet trained in administering medication.

Then, with far too much anxiety about leaving Felicia alone, Radha headed back outside towards the kennels.

“Hey, darlings, I’m back, don’t worry,” she said, smiling fondly at the wagging tails. “Come one. Be patient. We both know I’d never let you starve. Now, have I got a fun story for you. The woman who came in with me just before? Yeah, she’s going to be helping out around here for a little while. She’s some big-shot CFO lady who got into a little bit of trouble. Now I know you don’t like her, but everyone comes around eventually. She probably won’t be in here with you guys for a while, but when she does I expect you to be on your best behavior. You too, Nike, don’t give me that look.”

Nike seemed to smile up at her, wagging her tail. Radha gave her a cheerful smile and placed down her bowl. Almost immediately, Nike gobbled up every last drop.

In fact, not a single dog wasted time and Radha was able to feed and clean up the bowls within half an hour. She spent the next fifteen minutes giving each of them a good belly rub.

Before working at the animal shelter, Radha had always been partial to smaller dogs. She liked being able to pick them up and cuddle them and have them sleep in her bed. It was harder with big dogs, particularly for a woman barely ninety pounds soaking wet. But Nike and the rest of her cohorts had given Radha a newfound love of larger puppies. And it broke her heart to see these older, bigger, slightly rougher dogs consistently overlooked.

“You know,” she said to Cracker, a German Shephard who had been an army dog in her youth. “I think I heard there was a veteran looking for a companion. You’d like her. She was right there in the trenches, so to speak, just like you honey.” Cracker nuzzled her neck happily. She was such a good dog; obedient, and loyal to a fault. But families always seemed wary of taking in an army dog with their children in the house, and Cracker was going on ten. She only probably had a few years left in her. No one wanted to get too attached.

But Radha knew better. She’d been here long enough to see too many of her charges pass away. And she knew that as much as it hurt, the hurt was worth the love she had for them and they had for her in return.

“I’d better head back to our new friend before she burns this place to the ground with us all in it,” Radha said, giving Cracker one last pat. “I’ll be back later, my loves. Donnie, stop chewing on the cage, I told you you’ll ruin your teeth.” She tapped the cage without looking and headed back across the lawn.

Felicia was just finishing up the last bowl when Radha walked in. The redhead had clipped up her hair, though a few strands escaped and framed her face. She’d rolled up her sleeves to just under her elbows and was starting to sweat slightly.

“I suppose it would be too much to ask you get an air conditioner for this place,” Felicia huffed, looking decidedly disgruntled.

“Until someone with a hefty donation decided to give a fuck about a bunch of strays, not likely,” Radha answered. She carefully checked each of the bowls, impressed to find no mistakes had been made. When she commented on that, Felicia scoffed and replied that she was perfectly capable of following instructions, thank you very much. But Radha noticed how she seemed to preen slightly.

Feeling generous, and being very limited with their options considering Felicia’s footwear and overall outfit, she sat the woman down at the table with a stack of paperwork, gave her a brief rundown on what she was to do, and told her under no circumstances was she to expect to do this sort of work every time she came in. Nor was she to think that by wearing Prada heels or whatever would she somehow worm her way out of her responsibilities.

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Felicia said, smiling sarcastically. “Is there a reason I’m sat here at this plastic table with god only knows what on top of it instead of an office? Or even the reception desk?”

“I can’t have you wandering off,” Radha explained, rolling her sleeves back up and gingerly lowering herself onto the ground. “There are exactly two human beings on the premises, and god only know what sort of mischief you’d get up to alone.” And with that, she gently removed Shprintze, a black and white cat, from her cage first, followed by the others, snapped on her gloves, and got to work. The cats quickly scampered off in the playroom.

  Despite the messy nature of the job, Radha enjoyed her Sunday cleaning routine. Creating order and neatness out of chaos helped ease some of her anxiety, and because she was usually alone on Sundays it meant she could devote the time she needed to the job.

An unusually small woman, Radha had no issue climbing half inside the cages in order to reach every nook and cranny. Because she was the only one able to actually do this, she’d never even considered handing the job off to someone else.

She felt Felicia’s gaze on her, and given the most visible part of her currently was her posterior she might have felt self-conscious had she been anyone else. As it was, Radha spent most of her time surrounded by animals who had a very different definition of what was socially acceptable and as such had stopped giving a damn.

Well, to a point. Normally Radha would pop in one earbud – just one in case something happened in the playroom and she didn’t hear in time – and enjoy herself a bit. Lord knew Tzeitel, the mirror image of her sister Shprintze, enjoyed her dancing. But though she didn’t care if Felicia wanted to stare at her ass, she wasn’t going to put on a show, thank you very much.

“One of the cats is trying to escape,” Felicia commented dryly. With a sigh, Radha carefully crawled out of the cat cage and stood with a wince.

“That’ll be Tzeitel,” she explained, opening the playroom door just enough for the cat to bound in. “Tzeitel, we’ve talked about this. I’m cleaning out your cages and the fumes probably aren’t good for you. Oh, alright fine. But go by the window.”

And to Felicia’s visible amazement, Tzeitel listened. Gracefully leaping, she settled herself on the open windowsill and looked entirely too pleased with how things had turned out.

Radha tended to lose track of time when in cleaning mode. She went from cage to cage, scrubbing vigorously without pause until she came to the rows out of her limited reach. Then, breezing right past Felicia who had once again stopped her paperwork to watch, Radha took a nearby stepladder and resumed her cleaning.

When she got to the top row she was practically hanging out of the cages, her toes barely reaching the stepstool’s top step. From somewhere behind her, she heard Felicia stifle a scoff of amusement. Well, not everyone could be an Amazon woman. Some of them had to make do with the limited height they’d been given.

But at last she came to the last cage. The cats always loved it when she got to this point. It meant soon enough Radha would put away her smelly rags and scary spray bottles and come and play with them.

“Right, that’s enough paperwork,” Radha said, putting away her supplies. “It’s time you and the cats became acquainted.”

Felicia followed with trepidation written all over her face. Radha strongly suspected it was more about getting cat fur on her clothing than anything else. Which, as someone who wore a lot of black and was thus sympathetic, seemed reasonable.

“You’ve met Tzeitel,” she said, coaxing the cat in question back into the playroom. “These are her littermates, Hodel, Chava, Shprintze, and Beilke. We’ve had them since they were kittens. Raised them myself.”

“No one’s adopted any of them?” Felicia peered down at the bunch of them, all eerily flicking their tails in unison.

“They come as a package deal and no one wants five cats,” Radha explained. “People tried adopting them back when they were little, but every time one of them was separated the whole lot put up such a fuss. So, they’re here now. And this is Tabby, Shiva, Peter…”

 

When Felicia showed up for work the following Tuesday, Radha had arranged for one of the other employees to show her what she was going to be doing. As much as she wanted to be the one to instruct the uppity CFO on how best to clean up dog shit and pee-pee pads, the shelter was expecting several new residents that day and it took precedent.

She briefly caught a glimpse of Felicia, with an appropriately disgusted puss on her face, as she went about her task for the day and it was comical enough that it made up for missing out.

And Radha also saw that though far from the clothing she would have worn, Felicia had at least tried to look a bit less like a high society woman going out for brunch. Her hair was more carefully pinned back this time, and though she still wore a face of impeccable makeup, she’d donned a pair of (designer) jeans and sneakers that looked like they cost a week’s worth of Radha’s salary.

The new resident kept Radha busy for the next hour as she tried to work out just what in hell to do with it. While it was true their shelter took in all sorts of strange and more exotic animals as well as dogs and cats, they’d never had a sheep before. Why the sheep couldn’t just go to another farm was beyond Radha’s realm of comprehension, but she and a few volunteers worked to set up one of the sheds and a small fenced in pen for it.

“Everyone,” Radha said, just before everyone started leaving for the day. “I’d like you to meet someone. She’s new to the shelter and doesn’t yet have a name, but we’re working on it. And um, whatever you were expecting, it wasn’t this.”

When she opened the door and let the sheep happily bound out, all the employees nearly lost their damn minds. Well, she was an awfully cute little thing. Barely old enough to be away from her mother. Radha wished the sheep had a better home than a lonely pen and a few dog toys she didn’t even know the sheep would like.

“I hadn’t realized you were thinking of running a farm, Radha,” Felicia remarked, staring critically down at the quietly baaing animal. “Is this- is this a common occurrence?”

“No,” Radha said simply. She beckoned them all over and had them get down on the sheep’s level. Everyone else had no issue allowing the sheep to get acquainted with them, but Felicia stayed back, staring down her nose at the lot of them.

“Come here,” Radha said in exasperation. She grabbed Felicia’s arm and pulled her down to a squatting position. “Hmm, why don’t we name you…what musical theatre character haven’t we used yet? Oh, Eurydice. Okay, Eurydice, meet Felicia.” The newly-named Eurydice bleated happily and gave Felicia a gentle headbutt to the shoulder.

Which would have been fine had Felicia not immediately tried to back away, thus losing her balance and toppling back into the dust.

The others chuckled good-naturedly and continued fawning over their new resident. Felicia glared at the retreating animal with as much dignity as she could muster.

“If that’s all, I believe I’ll take my leave,” Felicia said testily. Radha rolled her eyes and offered her a hand up. After a doubtful look at Radha’s small frame, Felicia took it. Her eyes widened in surprise at Radha’s unexpected strength, but she didn’t comment and instead strode back across the lawn to the main building.

“Same time tomorrow then,” Radha muttered with a sigh. Then, she turned back to Eurydice who seemed to have taken a liking to her. “Don’t give that one another thought, darling. She’s just a bit…out of her element.”

Eurydice bleated in response, maintaining impressive eye-contact. Well, that settled that. Radha was officially in love. She gave Eurydice an affectionate pat.

 

Over the next several weeks, Radha had her hands full with Eurydice. Despite the sheep’s apparent affection towards her, Eurydice proved far from angelic with anyone else. Especially, it seemed, Felicia, who refused to go anywhere near her after being nipped on too many times. Because of this, to make life easier for everyone but herself, Radha took full charge of the sheep.

“Really, must you insist on misbehaving?” Radha asked, glaring down at Eurydice who happily bleated back at her. Ugh, you’re lucky you’re so damn cute. Well, come on. Let’s go see about the kennels.”

She and Eurydice calmly walked across the lawn, side-by-side. Like an imprinted duck, Eurydice refused to let Radha go anywhere without her. Which, in the beginning, had proved more than a little problematic seeing as Radha had other animals to care for. But to the relief of everyone, all the other shelter residents seemed either apathetic or friendly towards the sheep. So now no one saw Radha without Eurydice.

At the kennels, which Felicia had finally been deemed experienced enough to deal with, the dogs all immediately ran to the front of the cages to greet their new guests.

To their relief, the dogs all adored Eurydice. Even Nike, who was kept away from the other dogs because she was just too volatile at times, loved the sheep.

“Oh, it’s you,” Felicia said distastefully. Radha turned to reply, but saw Felicia was staring down and talking to Eurydice. Hiding her amused smile, Radha went about greeting everyone. She sat down next to Nike and gave her a thorough belly rub.

“How’s it going in here? You okay by yourself?” She asked, looking up at Felicia who was watching them both with trepidation.

“She won’t let me near her,” Felicia said with a sigh. “I’ve managed to get the others used to me, but Nike is…being difficult.”

“Oh, are you now?” Radha stopped rubbing Nike’s belly and folded her arms in dismay. Nike whimpered and actually managed to look guilty. “Now, Nike. I know Felicia isn’t very nice or friendly-”

“I beg your pardon?” Felicia looked at her in shock.

“Shh- I’m talking to Nike on your behalf. Don’t interrupt,” Radha said without looking up. “Where was I? Oh, yes. I know she’s cranky and much fancier than we’re used to over here, but she’s perfectly harmless, I assure you. Probably a secret softie just like you are. Now, I’m going to bring her in here and you’re not going to do anything I wouldn’t do, understand?” Nike huffed, but raised a paw. Radha took that to mean okay, so she beckoned Felicia over.

“I swear if she bites me, I’m suing this entire place,” Felicia muttered, only half-kidding, Radha thought. Radha took Felica’s hand and carefully held it out. Nike sniffed experimentally, but at last gave a tentative lick.

“Good, now I’ll let you two get acquainted properly without me hovering,” Radha said. She stood and brushed off her hands. “Don’t show fear, Felicia. She can sense your unease. Good luck.” And with that, she and Eurydice disappeared around the corner.

Of course, she wasn’t irresponsible enough to leave completely. No, instead Radha and Eurydice sat right down and watched in secret, just in case.

Felicia glanced around as though afraid to be seen, but when she turned back to Nike, there was a smile on her face. “Hey, there. Um, I’m not really good around animals. And I know you don’t like me much, but I’m just trying to help. So, I’ll make you a deal, Nike. You don’t try to maul me, I’ll make sure you get fed every day. You know, you’re not so bad…”

A few more weeks passed, and Radha was incredibly pleased with Felicia’s progress. She still insisted on making frequent snide remarks, but Radha found them more amusing than insulting these days. And she found these comments were more scathing on Tuesdays and Wednesdays than on Sundays when it was just the two of them. Oh, and Eurydice.

Of course, Felicia also seemed intent on wearing her designer brands even though Radha reminded her on the daily that she was just ruining perfectly good clothing. But then, when one had money enough to spend, it didn’t seem to matter.

Still, it had been a truly satisfying occasion when, one rainy Sunday, Felicia had a run-in with one of the dogs. The shelter had a sizable fenced-in area where they let the dogs have free range and, as much as Felicia had tried to weasel her way out of it, employees were meant to keep an eye on them and clean up after they did their business.

Well, the ground was incredibly slick, and Nike got a bit riled up at rain. One thing led to another, and Radha considered herself lucky enough to look outside just in time to see Felicia take a rather dramatic tumble to the muddy ground.

Radha and Eurydice were both in stitches when at last Felicia made her way back inside, looking furious.

“Having fun?” Radha asked, not bothering to hide her amusement.

“Not a word from the peanut gallery,” Felicia snapped. “Would you by chance happen to have a spare set of clothing?”

“Sure,” Radha said blithely, enjoying the brief look of relief on Felicia’s face before the taller woman narrowed her eyes suspiciously. “Only I don’t think they’ll be of any use to you except maybe as a hand puppet. I think there might be an old tee-shirt around here somewhere.”

“Forget it,” Felicia huffed. She efficiently unbuttoned her blouse, and with a critical glance down she took a deep breath and tossed it aside, leaving her in just a thin white camisole. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to deal with the cats.”

“Bit nippy out, is it?” Radha teased, following Felicia into the cat room.

“Shut up,” Felicia replied, but she cracked a small smile. “And keep staring at my chest, I’ll file a sexual harassment claim.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Radha said, mock-saluting. Eurydice bleated, and began licking at the mud still smeared across Felicia’s left thigh. All in all, just another day at the shelter.

 

It was late September and Felicia was already just about half-way done with her community service. She’d finally stopped wearing designer jeans to work, and had actually invested in some inexpensive sneakers to properly destroy. Of course, she’d yet to relinquish her careful makeup, but baby steps.

Radha didn’t care much about what she wore as long as she got her work done, and after over fifteen weeks Felicia had finally stopped complaining about cleaning up dog shit. She knew most of the animals by name on sight, and even occasionally held full conversations with them.

Most surprising though was Felicia’s relationship with the bigger dogs in the kennel. After finally letting herself develop a relationship with the dogs, they were now almost inseparable. Nike especially. She still insisted on keeping up the pretense that she didn’t give a damn, but Radha knew better. And so did the animals.

It was Sunday and Radha had gotten a text from Felicia earlier that she was going to be about fifteen minutes late. Car trouble. So she and Eurydice were dealing with the dogs while they waited for Felicia, and Radha didn’t know how to feel about how the dogs seemed almost disappointed to see her instead of the tall redhead.

“I know I’m not Felicia, but you’ll just have to wait until later,” Radha said. “Come on, sweeties. It’s like I’m chopped liver, honestly. Nike? Yeah, that’s what I thought.” Nike rolled over, happy to let someone give her a belly rub even if she clearly preferred Felicia.

A loud roar sent the dogs into a frenzy and Radha glared in the direction of the door. People should know better, she thought, as she locked Nike’s cage and stormed outside, than to come to an animal shelter on a motorcycle. It just served to get everyone up in arms. Even Eurydice kept running back and forth.

“Is there a reason you’ve decided to- wait, Felicia?” Radha stopped dead in her tracks as she watched Felicia swing a long, leather-clad, leg over the motorcycle seat and shake her hair free from her helmet.

“Sorry, I’m a little late,” Felicia said, grabbing her bag from the seat compartment. “I had some issues with the car so I had to take the bike, and I couldn’t ride in my other clothes so I had to change. Anyway, just give me a moment and I’ll be ready to go.”

Radha wordlessly watched Felicia saunter into the building, not moving until Eurydice gave her a pointed nudge.

“Right, sorry,” she murmured, and followed the taller woman inside. “Eurydice, I think we have a problem.” Radha knew and wasn’t afraid to admit that Felicia was a very attractive woman. But somehow, against all odds, seeing her in riding leathers somehow made her even hotter in Radha’s eyes. And that was definitely not an appropriate thing to think. Eurydice’s answering bleat seconded that thought.

But hoping to keep her eyes from staring too hard, Radha immediately climbed into one of the cat cages and got scrubbing.

“Cat got your tongue?” Felicia asked after a long bout of silence. Her voice echoed slightly from within her own cat cage.

“Hm? Oh, I was just…sorry, I’ve just been…it’s been a week,” Radha said, struggling to come up with some sort of excuse that wasn’t an admission that she liked looking at Felicia in leather.

“If you say so,” Felicia said, and that was definitely a teasing note in her voice. Radha huffed; thankful she couldn’t see her face that was quickly reddening. “But I’ll find out sooner or later. And if not, Eurydice will gladly rat you out for a treat, isn’t that right, honey?” Eurydice made a noise of assent.

“Traitor,” Radha said, but she laughed. “No, I was just thinking about how the dogs seem to like you more than me now. It’s quite insulting really.”

“I knew they had good taste,” Felicia said. “And it’s only a matter of time before I convert Eurydice too.”

“You wish,” Radha retorted. As if to prove her point, Eurydice bounded right over to her and settled her head on her back. “See? Loyal to the end. C’mon, darling, let’s go play with cats. I think Felicia can handle the last cage herself.” And with that, she and Eurydice sauntered into the playroom. Radha could hear Felicia scoff and grumble, but they both knew she didn’t really mean it.

It had taken months before Radha let Felicia even so much as help clean the cages, much less do it unsupervised. But they’d found out Felicia was just as fastidious as Radha which worked out in their favor.

“So, about that motorbike of yours,” Radha called from the other room. “I didn’t pin you for the type of person to be so badass.”

“I’m full of surprises,” Felicia called back. “If you’re so lucky, maybe you’ll find out some day.”

Radha should be so lucky…

 

Summer cooled to Autumn, and whatever had begun brewing between Felicia and Radha quickly fizzled out when Nike showed the first sign of illness. They called in a vet who told the distraught women it was really only a matter of time.

“There’s nothing much we can do at this point,” the vet said with a sigh. “Look, she’s an old dog, and there may be something that will prolong the inevitable, but well…she’s a shelter dog.”

“You are not actually saying just because Nike lives in a shelter it means she’s not worth saving? Because you listen to me-” Felicia clenched her fists, gearing up for a fight, but Radha placed a restraining hand on her forearm.

“Thank you, doctor,” she interrupted diplomatically. “We understand. May I see you out?”

When Radha came back inside, Felicia was on the floor next to the ailing dog, determinedly clenching her jaw to keep from tearing up.

“How could you let him say that about Nike?” Felicia demanded, seemingly determined to fight someone. Radha didn’t take it personally.

“I’ve heard it all before,” she answered, going to retrieve Eurydice from where she’d been “hiding” her. No doubt a vet would have something to say about a sheep roaming freely and Radha didn’t have the time or patience to deal with that today of all days. “But Felicia, we both know there’s nothing he could really do. And Nike _is_ a shelter dog. We don’t have the funding for medication that would only lengthen her suffering at the end of the day and for what? We have to be prepared to let her go. It could be months, it could be a few days. Listen, spend some time with her today if you must. I can handle the cats with Eurydice.”

Felicia didn’t respond, so Radha left her to it. “Don’t mind her, Eurydice. It’s always hard knowing you’re going to lose someone. Come on. You and Chava try not to be too rambunctious okay?”

Another few weeks passed, and December came. And Nike just got worse. The employees knew it was only a matter of time. Felicia spent every moment she could spare at her side and no one said anything about her slacking on her hours.

It was Sunday. And something told Radha this was nearly the end for poor Nike. The other dogs seemed to sense it too because they all kept quiet even when Eurydice moved from cage to cage, trying to cheer them all up.

“Hey, um, Radha?” Felicia asked just before closing. “I was just- would I be able to possibly stay a little longer? I understand if I’m not allowed without supervision, but I just-”

“Just remember to turn the lights out when you’re ready to go,” Radha said, tossing Felicia a spare key. “And Felicia? Call if you need anything.” Felicia nodded, without looking up. She saw with her back to the wall and Nike’s head on her lap.

Radha watched her for a moment then with one last sigh she turned to go. “Keep an eye on them tonight, Cracker, okay?” The German Shephard whined and Radha gave her a quick pat. Then, exchanging one final glance with Eurydice before she put her into her pen for the night, Radha went home.

She couldn’t sleep that night. Her entire thoughts were with Felicia and Nike. The redhead had gotten so attached to the Pitbull and Radha didn’t know how she’d react when Nike did finally die. Remembering the first animal she’d lost all those years ago, Radha knew it wouldn’t be pretty.

Reflexively, Radha ended up driving to the shelter on Monday morning despite it being her one and only day off. When she got there she noticed a light still on in the kennel. Sighing, and trying not to think too much on the electric bill they were already struggling to make, Radha crossed the lawn to the building.

Pausing, Radha then saw the door was unlocked and slightly ajar. She instinctively reached down and withdrew a pocket knife from her boot and warily pushed the door open. Soft whimpers and sobs echoed across the otherwise silent room.

When she passed Cracker’s cage, the dog whined at her with sad eyes. And that’s when Radha knew what had happened.

“Oh, no,” she murmured, turning the corner to find Felicia in the same spot she’d left her last night. Tears and stale makeup streaked her face, and she cradled Nike’s body in her arms. “Oh, sweetie. Come here. Have you been here all night?”

“I- I couldn’t- I couldn’t leave her,” Felicia managed to saw between her sobs. “I couldn’t let her die alone. I just couldn’t.”

“It’s alright,” Radha soothed. “I understand. Come on, Felicia. Let’s get you home. Come on, let her down. When did she die, honey?”

Felicia shrugged Radha off, still stroking Nike’s head. “An hour ago? Maybe? I don’t know. I just wanted- I’m sorry about the light…”

“Never you mind about the light,” Radha said, finally managing to pry Felicia away. “Let’s let one of the others take care of Nike right now. Steve should be here any second.” Felicia nodded, and moved to stand. But she’d been sitting for so long that her legs almost instantly gave out. Radha grunted, but managed to get her upright.

Leaving a message for Steve, she led Felicia to her car, buckled her in, and started driving. Felicia just kept staring out the window listlessly. She only seemed to come out of her reverie when she realized Radha had driven her home.

“Should I ask how you know where I live?” Felicia asked, trying for humor but falling woefully short.

“Best not,” Radha said. “And maybe don’t notice how I drove your car until later, okay?” Felicia blinked and looked around.

Radha ignored her questioning look and helped her out of the car. In the harsh light of day, Felicia looked even worse for wear and she seemed to know this because she kept her face turned away.

“Let’s get you cleaned up, okay?” Radha asked. Felicia nodded, hugging her stomach. “Do you need to call in to work?” Felicia shrugged and set off a quick text which seemed far too easy to Radha but who was she to comment?

Felicia put up almost no protest to Radha hunting around her bathroom cabinets for makeup wipes and even less to her diligently cleaning her face. That alone worried Radha more than anything else. Felicia had never once kept her mouth shut during any time. And here she was silently allowing Radha to strip away her metaphorical mask.

“It’s not fair,” Felicia murmured, her breath catching. “She was so…so sweet and gentle. She deserved a good home, not…not a cage and no one to come home to her every night.”

“I know,” Radha said sadly. “None of this is fair. But hey, Felicia. Nike was loved. She knew she was loved by so many. And I wish we could do more, but we all do our best. And she had you to the very end. We loved her and she died knowing that at least. Okay, I’m going to bring you a change of clothes. Why don’t you get cleaned up in the shower and then maybe take a nice bath? I saw some lavender bubble bath in here and that might calm you down a bit.” Felicia nodded wordlessly so Radha took her leave.

Hunting around Felicia’s drawers for comfortable clothes proved much easier than she expected. In fact, she found an entire drawer dedicated to old tee-shirts and baggy sweatpants. Why Felicia didn’t wear those to work, Radha never knew.

She quietly knocked on the bathroom door and waited until Felicia told her she could enter. “I’m going to see about getting us something to eat. Your clothes are right here, and there’s a towel on the rack. Take your time.”

Though Radha half-expected Felicia’s kitchen to be either barren or full of take-out, instead she found a fully-stocked fridge of healthy and ethical foods. She found a waffle machine in a cabinet and all the ingredients necessary. So, briefly looking up a recipe just to be certain, Radha got to work.

Fifteen minutes later, Radha heard the bathroom door creak open and footsteps pad into the kitchen.

“You’re just in time,” she said without turning. “I hope you like waffles and fresh fruit because I may have made more than strictly necessary.”

“Why are you doing this?” Felicia asked quietly. That made Radha pause for a second before she continued plating their breakfast. “Radha. Why?”

“You’re hurting,” Radha said simply, sliding a plate across the island and taking a seat across from the other woman. “And I’ve been there. I know how much it hurt, and I know it doesn’t get much easier even after all these years.”

“But- but I don’t understand,” Felicia said, shaking her head. Her hair was still damp and Radha realized this was what Felicia looked like without the makeup and fanfare and hair products. It was a good look on her. Her eyebrows were no longer perfectly sculpted, and her eye lashes looked nearly invisible, and she looked very pretty indeed. “It can’t be just that. I mean…I was horrible in the beginning. I admit it. I was a privileged bitch. Why would you want to help me after that?”

“Felicia,” Radha said with a small laugh. “Darling, that was months ago. And yes, you were a prissy bitch who didn’t seem to know the meaning of hard labor, but you have been so great these past few weeks, even months. And the dogs adore you. That’s more than enough reason for me to help.”

Felicia blushed and looked away, but Radha saw a small smile curve around her mouth. Then, taking one bite of Radha’s waffle, she groaned in satisfaction.

“I might have to keep you forever if this is the kind of breakfast you make daily,” Felicia said. “God, I love this. I- wait…what are you wearing?”

Radha blinked at the sudden subject change. She glanced down at herself, self-consciously brushing away bits of flour. “What? Do I have a tag somewhere or something?”

“No, no, I just- I think I’ve only ever seen you in like four outfits total,” Felicia said, blushing once more. “It’s just different is all. I mean, in a good way. You look nice.”

Awkwardly, Radha thanked her, but she’d never been very good at taking compliments. Granted, Felicia _had_ only ever seen her in her work clothes which were incredibly ratty and easily disposable if needed. That morning she’d been headed out to do some errands and so instead she was wearing a nice blouse, sweater, and even her heels.

“Yes, well, not many people see me like this, so I guess it’s a bit of a treat for the both of us,” Radha said, shrugging.

“No one’s seen me like this in a long time, if it makes you feel any better,” Felicia said, gesturing vaguely to her bare face and dressed down appearance. “Clearly you can see why.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Radha said scoffing at the very thought. “This is a good look on you. Well, maybe not the red and swollen eyes, but that’s just temporary. You don’t need makeup to be pretty, Felicia. I mean, you can if you want, and it looks nice definitely, but this is good too. Now, what I recommend for today is to just relax. We can watch a movie, or talk about Nike if you’re up for it. Whatever you want.”

“You don’t work on Mondays,” Felicia said, getting ready to protest. “I don’t want to waste your day off, really. And I- I’m really tired. I think I just want to go to bed.”

“If you’re sure,” Radha said. She ignored Felicia’s protests and started to clean up the kitchen, efficiently filling up the dishwasher. “Okay. Why don’t you take the rest of the week? I’ll see you on Sunday?” Felicia nodded, fussing with her hair.

“Radha,” she said just before Radha got to the door. “Thank you.”

“Any time,” Radha answered. And with that, she took her leave. Of course, she only made it two steps before she realized she’d left her car back at the shelter and she had no desire to pay an uber to take her that far away. Well, there had to be a bus stop around here somewhere.

 

Without Felicia or Nike, the shelter felt wrong. Radha had been so busy sorting out Nike’s remains, dealing with the paperwork of a whole bunch of adoptions that were coming in just before Christmas, and trying to scrap up the funding they needed to stay afloat that she didn’t have time to truly grieve for a dog who had deserved so much more than she’d been given in life.

But on Saturday after the others had all gone home for the night, Radha and Eurydice headed into the kennel to finally clean out Nike’s cage in preparation for the surge of incoming residents she knew would be coming after the holidays.

She felt a lump in her throat when she saw the whiteboard with Nike’s name, habits, and food. Loathe to just erase the name and start fresh, Radha instead carefully removed it and placed it aside. Perhaps she would see if Felicia wanted it. Then, with Eurydice close beside her to offer moral support, Radha got to work.

Then, once she was done, and Eurydice was safely in her pen, Radha went home, opened a bottle of wine with her take-out, and started the grieving process. Contrary to what most thought, Radha loved a good cry after something like this happened. There was something so cathartic about such a visceral release of anguish and pain.

In the morning, she felt better. And Sundays always helped calm her down. Of course, not two seconds after she’d collected Eurydice did she hear the obnoxious roar of a motorcycle.

“I really wish you wouldn’t do that,” she called, heading to the parking lot. Felicia laughed, tossing her hair. “You know it riles up the animals. How are you doing?”

“Better,” Felicia said, hitting the kickstand with her foot. “Much better, actually. And, um, I wanted to thank you for what you’ve done. Properly. So…you wouldn’t happen to have any plans tomorrow night, would you?”

“We both know I have no social life to speak of,” Radha joked. “No, no plans. What did you have in mind?”

“Well, I was thinking dinner,” Felicia said with a shrug. “Tomorrow night at seven?” Radha blushing slightly. Though she protested Felicia didn’t have to do anything to make it up to her – she’d been happy to do it – Felicia wasn’t taking no for an answer so she nodded. “Perfect. Wear something nice.”

And that was far too vague for Radha’s anxiety. Nice based on whose standards? Nice for Felicia probably meant opera clothes and priceless jewelry.

“Nice, meaning nice,” Felicia said with a laugh, headed inside to change. “No need to wear an evening gown, but maybe don’t wear that.” Radha scoffed with a roll of her eyes, but the wheels were already turning in her mind.

She spent the rest of the day, and most of the next fretting over her plans. Nice meant probably digging out a dress from her closet somewhere, and Radha hated wearing dresses. It meant having to sit with her legs closed and shoulders back.

It didn’t help that Felicia kept teasing her throughout Sunday with little winks and jokes and slightly exaggerated hip sways. Even Eurydice noticed, though she seemed intent on encouraging them as much as a sheep could.

At last, seven o’clock came though and Felicia rang her doorbell. So, taking a deep breath and checking her lipstick one last time, Radha opened the door.

“Wow,” they both said simultaneously. Radha laughed, looking down. Felicia just kept staring shamelessly.

“You look lovely,” she said, offering her arm. “Shall we?” Radha smiled, and with a final tug on her hem, she allowed Felicia to lead her down the stairs.

“Red is a fantastic color on you,” Radha said as she buckled herself in. Felicia sent her a wink. The redhead wore a dark red one-shouldered dress that had probably been tailored to her exact measurements. Radha’s own black dress had been purchased fifteen years ago off the rack. It had been one step away from collecting dust in her closet, that’s how little she wore it.

Though Radha tried to get Felicia to give her a hint about where they were going, the taller woman refused to budge. And Radha didn’t like not knowing. She needed to prepare herself if it turned out they were going to some elite members-only restaurant after all.

Instead, Felicia pulled up to a relatively fancy, yet far less so than Radha had expected, little restaurant and ever the gentlewoman, even opened the door for the smaller woman.

“I’m, um, I’m glad you said yes to this date,” Felicia said as they sat down. “Um, and I really do want to thank you for everything you did for me last week.”

“Really, there’s no need for thanks,” Radha insisted, waving her away. “But I’m glad you clarified this is a date. I wasn’t, um, exactly sure. Or that you even liked women, honestly.”

“The motorcycle and leather pants didn’t give it away?” Felicia teased. Radha rolled her eyes, claiming she didn’t want to assume over stereotypes. “Well, my motorcycle was how I knew you liked women because you couldn’t keep your eyes off of me in those pants.”

“Oh, that is- I- you know smugness isn’t becoming, Felicia,” Radha replied, feeling her face grow hot. “But yes, for your information, I do like how they look on you. Now, onto something less mortifying, thank you very much. If this is a date, as we’ve established, then why don’t you tell me about yourself?”

“Like what? I think we already know each other pretty well considering we’ve worked together for months now,” Felicia said. Radha shrugged. They still had so much to learn, she countered. Like why Felicia had been so against animals in the beginning, or what her guilty pleasures were.

Felicia shrugged. She’d never, she explained, had a pet growing up. Her mother insisted they were too messy and dirty, and she’d just kept that sentiment with her into adulthood.

“But what about you? I didn’t hear any greetings at the door,” Felicia asked. This time it was Radha who shrugged. She simply didn’t think it would be fair for any pet she would theoretically have if she spent six days a week at a shelter taking care of other animals. Pets required time and devotion, as she well knew, and it wasn’t something she had.

“As for cats, well…if we’re being honest, it’s the shedding,” Radha admitted with a sigh. “I hate having cat hair everywhere and I couldn’t handle that in my house. It’s why you only see me in like three sweatshirts and why I keep them at the shelter.”

“I know what you mean,” Felicia replied, sipping her wine. “I thought about adopting one of the dogs – well, Nike – but I’m just too married to my work. It wouldn’t be fair. And yes, the cat hair would be a deal breaker. And I don’t think I have any guilty pleasures, as you put it.”

Radha wasn’t buying it. Everyone, even those wedded to the job, had something they loved doing but wouldn’t admit it. For instance, she herself enjoyed musical theatre on her downtime. Which, Felicia teased, was certainly not a secret by any means. Anyone who named animals after Teyve’s daughters – including the ones no one talked about – had to be vocal about their theatre love.

Talking with Felicia was easy, Radha learned. Not quite as easy as talking to the animals in the shelter, but damn near close. She’d be the first to admit she’d never felt comfortable around humans. But Felicia made her forget that if even for a few hours.

They had a lot more in common than either originally thought. Married to their work, dedicated, organized on a concerningly specific level, non-existent social life. That last one had taken Radha by surprise. She’d just assumed someone as confident and loud as Felicia could be, she’d be swimming in friends.

“I mean, I have many acquaintances through my job and I’ve always found being personable easy in that context, but in private I’m a bit of a disaster socially,” Felicia admitted. “I guess I just spent so much time and effort trying to get to where I am that I made some sacrifices, and I know most think I had it all handed to me, but I didn’t. God, as a woman I got overlooked for a fucking promotion so many times because there was a vaguely qualified man…sorry, I didn’t mean to bitch to you.”

“I don’t mind,” Radha said, and she didn’t. “And for the record, I never thought you’d been handed your job. Sure, I thought you were definitely too privileged for your own good, but I knew you’d worked hard to get to where you are.”

“Thank you,” Felicia said, ducking her head. “I- anyway. Onto less negative topics…”

Radha didn’t want the night to end. She’d never had such a good time with another person before. At least not in the past decade or so. But it was getting late and they both had early mornings so at last Felicia drove her home.

“So, um, I’ll see you tomorrow then?” Felicia said, standing just outside Radha’s door. “And maybe we could do this again sometime?”

“Bend down just a bit?” Radha asked, straining her neck slightly to look up. Felicia gave her a questioning look but did as she was told. And mustering up a burst of courage, she placed a gentle kiss on Felicia’s cheek. Then slowly she said, “I think we should probably leave it like this.”

“Oh,” Felicia nodded. She stepped back and couldn’t hide the disappointment on her face. “Of course. I just- I thought…”

“At least until you’re no longer relying on me to sign off on your community service hours,” Radha continued, pleased to see Felicia brighten. “It would be unethical to keep dating under the circumstances. But you’ve only got a few weeks left and after the holidays are over we can see how it goes. Is- is that okay?”

“More than, and responsible too,” Felicia answered. Then, quickly bending down once more, she placed her own kiss on Radha’s cheek and dashed back to her car, leaving them both smiling.

Radha closed the door and leaned against it, beaming almost embarrassingly hard. She almost felt like a teenager after her first kiss which was utterly ridiculous because they’d just gone out on one date and hadn’t even kissed.

 She groaned, realizing Felicia had at least three more weeks before they could repeat the night’s enjoyment. More, considering she doubted Felicia would want to work over the holidays. Damn her and her ethical choices.

But as always, Radha hardly had any time to dwell on it because not three days later, she received word that there was a farm willing to adopt Eurydice. And her initial response had been cold dread. For months, Eurydice had followed her everywhere and Radha had come to adore the little sheep more than she expected.

“This is good news, isn’t it?” Felicia asked when she found out. “I mean, it’s what we want. For her to be somewhere with other sheep and plenty of room to wander around.”

Radha nodded, knowing Felicia was right. This _was_ what they’d been working to try and get ever since Eurydice came. “Of course, yeah. Sorry, I was just thinking. I’m going to visit the farm tomorrow anyway just to make sure it’s a safe place for her. You know, ethical and clean. But it’ll be good that she had a home for the holidays. Now if we could just get the rest of these wayward animals out there.”

The farm was a lovely place, Radha had to admit. The animals all seemed happy and healthy and there was ample room to play. The owners even named each of them and seemed to genuinely care for all of the sheep. It would be a good home for Eurydice.

Not only did Eurydice have a nice new potential home, but Felicia had been steadily increasing her hours per week and was on track to finish up her service before Christmas Eve if nothing at work came up. They’d made tentative plans to spend the day together regardless, though their activities would largely depend on the hours.

“Well, I have a great motivation,” Felicia said when Radha commented on her progress. “Just another, what, ten hours? And I think I can finish that up next Sunday if I really put my nose to the grindstone.”

Right, Sunday. Just a few days before Christmas. The day the farm was coming to collect Eurydice. She’d been dreading it for so long and it was almost upon them.

That morning, Radha left the kennels to Felicia and took Eurydice aside to have a long talk. The farm people would be there within the hour and she needed this time to say goodbye alone.

“Hey, Eurydice,” she said softly, plopping down next to the sheep. “Hey my good girl. I’ve got some good news for you, sweetheart. I’ve found you a nice home with lots of other sheep, and you’ll be in good hands there, I know it. You’ll have lots of land and- and everything you’d ever need.”

Radha had promised herself she wouldn’t start crying. It wasn’t fair to Eurydice and it would only upset her before she left. But Eurydice kept looking at her with these big sad eyes and Radha couldn’t stop the first sob from escaping her throat. And once the first got through, the damn soon broke.

“I’m- I’m sorry, baby,” she said, sniffing as she desperately tried to get a hold of herself. Eurydice’s concerned bleating and insistent nuzzling didn’t help matters either. “I’m so sorry, I don’t mean to cry. You’re gonna love it at your new home, I know it. And soon you’ll forget all about little old me. It’s going to be so good for you, and I shouldn’t be so sad because this is a good thing, it is. I love you so so much, my baby. But I can’t take care of you here. You deserve lots of friends and lots of space to grow up, and this is what’s best for you.”

Eurydice pawed at her gently and climbed halfway into Radha’s lap. And even though she was probably too heavy by now for it to be entirely comfortable, Radha didn’t even consider pushing her off. Instead she buried her face in Eurydice’s soft wool and sobbed her eyes out.

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” she kept repeating. “I love you. I love you. I’m so sorry I can’t take care of you myself.”

“Radha,” Felicia said gently from outside the shed. “Radha they’re here. It’s time.” Radha nodded, sniffing. She gently pushed Eurydice off, but the distraught sheep pushed closer.

“Sweetie, it’s time to go,” she said, finally managing to stand up. “Come on, baby. It’s going to be just fine. Come on, let’s go meet them.” She hurriedly wiped at her face, and walked out to meet the farmers, knowing Eurydice would follow.

Felicia immediately appeared by her side, but Radha didn’t look up, knowing she would just dissolve into tears again.

“This is Eurydice,” Radha introduced, crouching back down to Eurydice’s level. “Sweetie, these people are going to take good care of you, okay? So you be a good girl for them. Don’t give them any trouble, you hear? You be on your best behavior.”

The two people both introduced themselves to Eurydice, and Radha was pleased to hear they spoke to her like she did. As though she were a person – well a small child, but even so. Eurydice bleated timidly and immediately hid behind Radha.

“Honey, it’s okay,” she murmured, stroking her comfortingly. “It’s okay. They’re going to take care of you, baby. Don’t you put up a fight now. You’d better be a good girl or I’ll be so disappointed in you. Now it’s time to go.”

One of the farm people gently placed a lead around Eurydice’s neck and began coaxing her towards the truck. Immediately Eurydice began struggling and bleating loudly.

“Shh,” Radha soothed, helping them lead her into the truck. “It’s okay, don’t panic, Eurydice. It’s going to be okay.” At last she managed to get Eurydice in the truck, and giving her one final tight hug filled with love and devastation, she fled, letting them shut the doors behind her. Behind the wood, Eurydice frantically pawed at them and unable to take it, Radha stumbled away.

“Come here,” Felicia caught her and held her close. “It’s okay. She’s going to be so happy there.”

Radha couldn’t watch them take Eurydice away. She could still hear her panicked cries and it just hurt too much. Instead, she buried her face in Felicia’s shoulder and let the taller woman hold her upright.

“My baby. I- I can’t- no,” Radha pushed herself back up, forcibly collecting herself once more. “No. I’m okay. It’s okay. She’s going to be just fine. It’s okay. It’s okay. Okay, um, I’ve got- we should get to work. The cats, um, they’re going to be impatient if we don’t-” Radha turned and determinedly walked towards the cat room.

“Radha, maybe we should sit down for a minute,” Felicia suggested, trying to draw her over to a chair. “It’s okay if you take a moment. I can get started myself if that’s what you’re worked about. It’s okay.”

“No,” Radha said stubbornly. “No, you’re right. Everything is going to be just fine. Eurydice is going to be just fine, and I have other children- um, I mean I have other animals to take care of. And cleaning makes me feel better so this is the best way. No, don’t argue with me, Felicia. It’s going to be okay.”

Felicia sighed, clearly not believing a word of it, but nodded. And though Radha appreciated how Felicia kept an eye on her for the rest of the day, she honestly wished she were alone. Because it was too painful to reach behind her to stroke Eurydice’s fur only to instead touch air. It hurt more than she though possible to go to mention something to the sheep only for her to remember she’d left that morning. She wished she were alone because she didn’t want anyone else to see her near-tears every time something like this happened.

“Well, at least something happy happened today,” she said as they prepared to go home for the night. “You’ve officially completed your community service, Felicia. I’ve signed off on all your hours and the paperwork should come in sometime tomorrow. Congratulations.”

“I was thinking we’d celebrate maybe tomorrow or something?” Felicia asked tentatively. “Unless you’d rather we wait until Christmas Eve. That’s okay too.”

“Um, actually,” Radha said, hefting her bag. “I’m going to probably take a few days to myself. I just want to be alone for a little bit.”

“Oh, oh sure,” Felicia said, faltering slightly. “If you’re sure. But um, I’m here if- if you want. I mean, you took care of me when I needed it, and I just thought…”

“I really appreciate it, darling, but I just want to be by myself tonight and tomorrow,” Radha said, giving the redhead a tired smile. “But don’t worry. I’m still very much looking forward to spending Christmas Eve _and_ Christmas Day with you. And between you and me, I’m very glad you’re a free woman now.” Felicia laughed blushing. Then, placing a gentle kiss on Radha’s cheek, she got into her car and drove off, likely to plan the perfect night.

Radha watched her go with a sad smile. She really did want to go out and celebrate that night, but she wanted to curl up in bed and flip through about a hundred photos of Eurydice over the months even more. And with one final lingering look at Eurydice’s shed, she too drove off.

 

Felicia and Radha had officially been together for an entire month and to celebrate, Felicia had insisted on going for, of all things, a picnic. Radha had protested, of course. It was the end of January, for heaven’s sake. No one was going out on a picnic at this time of year.

“And why not?” Felicia had retorted, packing a basket and everything. “It’s still in the sixties outside. We live in Arizona, for god’s sake, not New York. Come on, we’re going on a picnic in a beautiful spot you’re going to love. And to make it an extra surprise, you _are_ wearing the blindfold.”

“Snowball’s chance in hell of that happening,” Radha had replied, caving in on the picnic idea but still decidedly against any sort of blindfold.

“Fine, tell you what,” Felicia had said challengingly. “You wear the blindfold in the car, and I’ll let you do that thing with the handcuffs you’ve been wanting to try.”

“Deal,” Radha had said, grinning slightly. And they shook on it for good measure. Still, despite agreeing, she complained the entire way. “Well, I’ll wear the blindfold, but do not expect me to be quiet about it.” She smirked, echoing Felicia’s own words from once upon a time back at her. Felicia rolled her eyes in amusement, but didn’t budge on the blindfold.

But at last, they rolled to a stop and Felicia carefully led Radha outside and over uneven terrain. Radha tensed, not at all liking being unable to see. But then she stopped, and listened, and heard something very familiar indeed.

“Eurydice?” she ripped off the blindfold and immediately spotted an entire herd of sheep in the distance. For just a second, a stab of trepidation went through her. Eurydice had been with her new family for over a month now. She could have very well forgotten all about her. But Radha needn’t have worried. “Eurydice!” From the center of the crowd, a loud bleat sounded above the others and a single sheep came charging out of the pack.

Tearing up, Radha wasted no time climbing the fence and crouching down just in time for Eurydice to barrel straight into her. They both toppled to the grass, laughing and baaing in delight. A little ways away, Felicia took a video for posterity. Someone had to record this joyous reunion.

“I love you, my baby, and I’ve missed you so much,” Radha said, in between giving Eurydice as many kisses as she could. “Oh, Felicia, thank you. Thank you so much.”

“See? Didn’t wearing the blindfold make things that much sweeter when you finally got here?” Felicia asked, spreading out the blanket and unpacking the basket. “And besides, I couldn’t think of a better one-month anniversary date than this.” And neither could Radha.

“I don’t see how this day could get better,” Radha said, at last settling down. Eurydice bleated in response, resting her head in Radha’s lap.

“I think it can,” Felicia said, withdrawing something from the basket that hadn’t been there before. “I couldn’t think of what to get you for our short-term anniversary, and I wasn’t even sure you’d want anything. But um, I think you’ll like this. And it’s not- I mean, I would have done this even if we weren’t dating, but I just wanted you to know it’s because I genuinely care about the shelter that I’m doing this.”

In confusion, Radha took the envelope. And when she unfolded the cheque, she nearly forgot to breathe. Written in black ink was a donation to the animal shelter for $10,000 dollars and a pledge to volunteer at least twice a month.

“Felicia, you- I can’t- this is too much,” she stuttered, at a loss for words. “You didn’t have to do this. It’s so generous and I don’t- I don’t know what to say.” She felt herself grow choked up and instead she hid her face in Eurydice’s wool. Felicia merely shrugged and smiled.

“I…getting those traffic violations was the best thing that has ever happened to me,” Felicia admitted quietly, cuddling up to both girlfriend and sheep. “It made me a better person. In all aspects of my life. And your shelter deserves the world. It deserves everything and if I can make that happen, I will do everything to try. Now, this isn’t as much as you need, I know, but it’s something to help with the costs. And I mean it, I’m going to volunteer again of my own volition. I miss it. I miss cleaning out those cat cages, and I miss the dogs, and I miss working with you. And as for Eurydice here. Well, the farm says we can visit anytime we want to as long as we want. You’re her mother, after all.”

“Yes, I am, aren’t I?” Radha smiled lovingly down at Eurydice who merely snuggled closer. Then, she beckoned Felicia closer and together the three of them enjoyed a warm winter’s day with a field of sheep nearby and a basket of food and wine. And when at last it was time to go, Eurydice gave Radha one last affectionate nuzzle before trotting off to rejoin her flock. And Radha knew she had made the right decision. 


End file.
